There will be a great opportunity to get some book bargains and benefit New Alternatives for LGBT Homeless Youth, a group I heartily endorse. It was founded by activist Kate Barnhart, whom James and I met long ago via ACT UP when she was a teenage activist.
Huge Book Sale on July 10
At LGBT Community Center on West 13th Street
Will Benefit Homeless LGBT Youth
“Buy a book, save a young life” fundraiser
Offers ten thousand new volumes on sale
For $10 per shopping bag
NEW YORK, NY, June 28, 2010 – A huge sale of more than ten thousand new and used books will take place in the West Village on July 10, with the proceeds going to charity. The event, called “Buy a Book, Save a Young Life,” will take place on Saturday, July 10 from Noon-6pm at the LGBT Community Center on 13th Street.
The books on sale encompass every subject and genre, including children’s, art, classic and modern literature, as well as collectables and rarities. These books were donated by veteran bookseller Robert Warren, who recently closed his landmark New York bookstore, Skyline Books. Admission is free to this event, and people can fill a shopping bag full of books and pay $10 per bag.
All proceeds of the “Buy a Book, Save a Young Life” sale will benefit New Alternatives, the East Village program based at Middle Collegiate Church. New Alternatives provides desperately needed services to LGBT homeless youth, including hot meals, emergency housing referrals, case management, and life skills training.There will be a special pre-sale on July 10 for dealers and collectors. For an admission fee of $25 (also going to New Alternatives), shoppers can get a jump on the crowd from 11am-Noon. Admission includes one free bag of books. Additional bags of books will be $25 each.
For hardcore bargain hunters, from 5pm to the 6pm closing, the price plummets to $1 per bag of books.To match New Alternatives goals of promoting HIV awareness and safer-sex education, each bag of books comes with free condoms, and New Alternatives promises a fun festive atmosphere. In addition to great book bargains the event will include performances from queer and queer-friendly acts such as Circus Amok, Rude Mechanical Orchestra, and The Church Ladies for Choice. Expect music, stilt walking, juggling and a good vibe to abound.
I love this organization. They do great work and have had wonderful success this year, in their first start up year. They have fed on average over 50 young people every Sunday and hosted life support classes (like how to budget, set up a home, get and act on a job interview, HIV prevention, gender transformation, etc.). They also do case management, tutoring, GED help, and even got 4 kids into college this year, full-ride. The volunteers are tireless and the young people are inspiring even as they are trying to make changes in their lives. Thanks for supporting them and I hope everyone comes out to buy books for such a good cause.